


cymophane

by nearly_theyre



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff, Kozume Kenma-centric, M/M, Non-graphic injuries, Royalty, minimal angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26276248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nearly_theyre/pseuds/nearly_theyre
Summary: Kuroo's priority has always been helping Kenma succeed in any way he could.Kenma's priority has always been keeping Kuroo safe.or: a royalty au in which an attempt on Kenma's life fails, and Kuroo accepts his place in the palace.
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 5
Kudos: 63





	cymophane

**Author's Note:**

> hey hey hey guys!!
> 
> My first haikyuu fic and it's kuroken - not surprising, lmao.
> 
> This was originally written as a twitter thread - [here's the link](https://twitter.com/nearly_theyre/status/1301653686553178117). You can also find another link to my twitter in the end notes! Come say hi - I'd love to talk haikyuu and kuroken!

The first thing Kenma noticed as he blinked awake was the dull pain in his lower abdomen and the warmth in his palm. 

Slowly, the world around him came into focus. He recognized the antiseptic smell and the white surroundings as the castle's medical wing.

Although he still wasn't sure why he was laying in a medical bed.

The last thing he remembered was leaving the throne room to get ready for bed - after a long day of policy making and meetings, Kenma was exhausted and had just wanted to sleep. He remembered sending one of the maids for Kuro before escaping to his rooms, accidentally leaving his personal guards to follow at a sedate pace behind him. Then -

Then one of the hallway panels had exploded open, and an unfamiliar hand was grabbing his wrist. 

A glint of silver, a voice yelling for Kenma, and the sharp smell of chemicals were the last sensations he could remember before the world went dark.

Hmm. It would seem that Kenma would have many more meetings with Yaku, his head of his security, soon.

Slowly, Kenma turned his head to the side. There, on the bedside table sat his crown - an intricate golden band with a ruby inset in the center, surrounded by two cat-eye gemstones. It was beautiful, and heavy with the weight of responsibility.

But next to the crown was the one person who made it all worth it - Kuro, his best friend and scientific advisor, was asleep next to his bed. His messy bed head was resting on one arm while the other was holding tightly to Kenma's limp hand.

Kenma felt a small grin grace his lips as he watched Kuroo start to stir awake. He squeezed Kuro's hand and watched fondly as he stretched out - like a cat after a nap in the sun - and blinked awake.

As soon as he noticed Kenma staring back at him, Kuro jerked upward, reaching forward to cup Kenma's face in his hands. 

"You're awake...I was so worried! How are you feeling?" Kuroo asked, pressing a quick kiss to his forehead before moving back to his chair, both of his hands wrapped around one of Kenma's. 

Kenma hummed. "Not too bad, considering. Did Kai give me some pain medication?" Kuro nodded, leaning back and releasing Kenma's hand to grab a glass of water and pills that rested by his crown on the bedside table.

"Yeah, he wanted you to take these as soon as you woke up. Can you sit up?" Kuroo asked. Kenma nodded - he was a King, not an invalid - and struggled his way to an upright position. He hissed at the stretch in his side, gratefully accepting the pills and water from Kuroo.

After handing the glass back, the two of them sat together in the silence. It was almost...too quiet.

"Hey, Kuro? Where are Yamamoto and Fukunaga?" Kenma was always accompanied by his two personal guards - and he knew that his attack wasn't their fault, so it was odd that they weren't with him. 

"I told them that I would stay with you," Kuro responded, leaning back in his chair.

"You know that it's a great shame for a personal guard to allow the crown to be hurt in any way. They were standing guard over you as you rested, wallowing in their mistakes, so I sent them to train with Yaku so that they'll feel more productive. Or at least that they're doing something to make the situation better," Kuro said, watching Kenma's face for his reaction.

Kenma tilted his head, thinking. It was true that Yamamoto's and Fukunaga's presence could be suffocating - especially when he really just needed to be _alone_ \- but he couldn't deny that the two of them were his closest friends.

He was glad that Kuroo was making sure they didn't obsess over the incident - he would be fine and they would clean up any messes later. "Thank you for taking care of them, Kuro." 

Kuroo smiled at his response, and the two of them resumed their silent companionship.

Only a few minutes later, Kai entered the room to check up on his patient. 

"Ah, Your Majesty, I see you are awake. How are you feeling?" Kai asked, kind as always.

"Just call me Kenma, Doctor. And I'm doing fine, those painkillers you left work well," Kenma sighed.

Kai smiled - the two of them had been locked in a passive aggressive battle of titles for months now. He was one of the few regulars in the castle to call Kenma by his official titles, and Kenma was the only one to refer to him as "Doctor".

"I'm glad to hear it. Why don't you take off your shirt and we'll check up on the bandages?" It was a quick and relatively painless process - Kai was efficient and good at his job.

Still, Kenma saw Kuroo get progressively more anxious, especially after the bandages came off and he saw the wound in its full glory. 

Kai quickly redressed the wound, helping Kenma tug his shirt back on and leaving to go check on his other patients - Kenma was sure some of his knights ( _cough_ Lev) had gotten injured in Yaku's aggressive training regime again. 

Still, even once Kai had left the room, Kuroo still hadn't said what was bothering him so much. This wasn't the first attempt on Kenma's life, and he was _fine_.

Kenma let out a small huff, readying himself for the confrontation. As introverted as Kenma was, getting information out of Kuro when he didn't want to talk was like pulling teeth out of a kicking horse.

"Kuro, what's-"

"Why did you make me your scientific advisor, Kenma?" The words seemed to tumble out of Kuro's mouth, a stream of words that stopped Kenma in his thoughts. He always thought that Kuro knew why he was Kenma's advisor.

But, apparently, he was wrong. Kuro seemed to take his silence as confusion, so he marched on. "I just...we both know I could've easily become a knight and part of your personal guard, and I think _everyone_ was shocked when you announced my appointment, so I just-"

Kenma lifted a hand to stop Kuro's sentence in its tracks. It was hard to think with his ramble constantly confusing him. 

"I made you my advisor because I trust you more than anyone else, Kuro," Kenma said, softly. This was something that rested just between the two of them.

"I wanted you to stay near me, all the time. I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt," Kenma swallowed. "I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt for _me_." 

Kuro's mouth was hanging open, shocked.

"You are the most important person in the world to me, Kuroo Tetsurou," Kenma whispered. "I needed you by my side, safe, for as long as I can have you."

Kuro seemed to melt at his words - he was always such a romantic sap - and he leaned forward to press another kiss to Kenma's forehead. 

"I love you, Tetsu," Kenma said, pressing up to give him a kiss.

Kuro smiled against his lips, kissing him back.

"I love you too, Kenma," Kuro said. "And I'll always be yours. Forever." 

Kenma felt his cheeks burn and a smile overcome his face as he tugged Kuro onto the bed with him.

"Cuddle me until I fall asleep?" Kenma asked, although he already knew the answer. Kuro let out a little laugh, sliding under the covers and wrapping his arms around Kenma, caging him to his chest. 

"Whatever you want, Your Majesty," Kuro teased.

Kenma sleepily slapped his arm before burrowing deeper into the warmth of his chest.

He would shoulder the responsibilities of being King every day, if it meant ending the day in the arms of his love.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/nearly_theyre) |[tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/nearly-theyre) | [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/nearly_theyre) | 
> 
> come say hi! 
> 
> friendly remember to take care of yourself - drink some water, eat some food, get enough sleep, take ur meds, and give someone a hug! Stay safe and wear a mask! 
> 
> ps if anyone knows of any haikyuu writer discords please lmk


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